10. August 2012

 

Ein im März 2012 veröffentlichter Bericht von Human Rights Watch (HRW) erläutert, dass "Zina" einen Straftatbestand gemäß Artikel 426-7 des afghanischen Strafgesetzbuchs von 1976 darstellen und den Geschlechtsverkehr zwischen zwei Personen, die nicht miteinander verheiratet sind, bezeichnen würde. Zina werde im Koran als verbotene Handlung angeführt und sei in der islamischen Rechtsprechung weithin verboten. Da das Gesetz, das Zina kriminalisiere, keine Definition oder Erklärung des Straftatbestandes enthalte und nicht erläutere, was unter Zina zu verstehen ist, sei es für verärgerte Ehemänner oder Väter leicht, den Vorwurf der Zina gegen Frauen oder Mädchen vorzubringen, die von zu Hause weggelaufen seien und sich anschließend in Begleitung eines Mannes befunden hätten. Sowohl Frauen als auch Männer würden wegen Zina verhaftet und strafrechtlich verfolgt. Weiters sei es wahrscheinlich, dass Frauen, die vor einer Zwangsverheiratung oder häuslicher Gewalt fliehen, der Zina beschuldigt würden. Dies sei bei Männern nicht der Fall:

„The criminal offense of zina concerns sexual intercourse by two individuals who are not married to each other. The word zina itself is Arabic and appears in the Quran as a prohibited act. Zina is widely outlawed in Islamic jurisprudence.

Zina is a crime under article 426-7 of the 1976 Afghan Penal Code, which does not define it or its elements. These articles are the only provisions of Afghan law that prohibit zina. Zina is specifically mentioned as follows:

If in the crime of zina the conditions of ‚Hadd’ are not fulfilled or the charge of ‚Hadd’ is dropped because of doubt or other reasons, the offender shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter…. A person who commits zina or pederasty shall be sentenced to long imprisonment.

Afghan law making zina a crime lacks any definition or explanation of the elements of the offense, or even what zina is. This vagueness makes it easy for a husband or father angered by a woman or girl fleeing from home to allege, if she has spent any time in the company of a man after having fled, that zina has occurred. While both men and women face arrest and prosecution for zina, women who seek to escape forced marriage or domestic abuse are likely to be accused of zina as a result. This does not happen to men.” (HRW, 28. März 2012, S. 36-37)

Laut einem Bericht des norwegischen Herkunftsländerinformationszentrums Landinfo vom Mai 2011 würden alle Fälle von vor- bzw. außerehelichem Geschlechtsverkehr als Zina betrachtet. Diese würde von Scharia, traditionellem Recht und afghanischem Recht als schwere Straftat eingestuft. Laut den Artikeln 427 und 100 des Strafgesetzbuches werde Zina mit einer „langen Haftstrafe“ zwischen fünf und 15 Jahren bestraft. Bestimmungen der Scharia würden für Personen, die für schuldig befunden worden seien, vor- bzw. außerehelichen Geschlechtsverkehr praktiziert zu haben, Auspeitschen und/oder den Tod durch Steinigung vorsehen. Der Bericht von Landinfo bezieht sich weiters auf einen älteren Bericht der Weltbank aus dem Jahr 2005, wonach Männer zwar auch wegen Zina strafrechtlich verfolgt werden könnten, allerdings generell Einigkeit darüber bestehe, dass das Strafrechtssystem bei Zina einen Schwerpunkt auf die strafrechtliche Verfolgung von Frauen lege. Die erste, nach dem Sturz der Taliban verhängte Todesstrafe für Zina sei ein Beispiel für eine solch ungleiche Behandlung: Eine lokale Jirga habe den Mann zu 100 Peitschenhieben verurteilt, während die Frau zu Tode gesteinigt worden sei:

„In Afghanistan, all cases of pre-/extra-marital sex are considered as zina offences. According to Sharia, traditional law and Afghan law (Sections 426-428 of the Penal Code), zina is a serious crime. Zina is punishable by ‚long imprisonment’ (Section 427 of the Penal Code), and the prison term shall not be less than five years and not exeed 15 years (Section 100 of the Penal Code (1)). Several studies show that more than half of all female inmates in Afghan prisons are imprisoned for zina or so-called moral crimes (UNODC 2007).

According to Sharia, the punishment for zina is flogging and/or death by stoning of those found guilty of having had pre-/extra-marital sex. Although men can also be prosecuted for zina crimes, there is general agreement that ‚the criminal justice system places disproportionate emphasis on the prosecution of women for zina crimes’ (World Bank 2005). The first known capital punishment for zina after the fall of the Taliban is an example of such unequal treatment: A local jirga sentenced the man to 100 lashes, while the woman was stoned to death. The extent to which the extra-marital sex is voluntary or not (i.e. rape), is in reality only of partial or secondary importance, since virginity is so important to a family’s honour (UNODC 2007).” (Landinfo, 19. Mai 2011, S. 18)

Das Danish Immigration Service (DIS) beschreibt in einem Bericht zu einer Fact-Finding-Mission nach Kabul (25. Februar bis 4. März 2012) vom Mai 2012 Konsequenzen, mit denen Männer, die die Familie entehren oder sich über soziale Normen in den Bereichen Ehe und Beziehungen zwischen Männern und Frauen hinwegsetzen würden, rechnen müssten. Dabei bezieht sich das DIS auf die Angaben verschiedener Quellen:

„5.1. Consequences for young men

Asked about the consequences for young men who have had a relation to a young woman outside marriage, UNHCR stated that the situation would be very dangerous for him as well as for his family. If there is a powerful person in the girl’s family whose reputation and honour is at stake, the risk is even higher. UNHCR added that there are many young returnees from Iran or European countries, especially girls and women, who have not been able to adapt to the more traditional Afghan society and who end up in such dishonouring conflicts or immolating themselves.

According to an independent policy research organization in Kabul, when the honour‐related conflicts are not solved in a peaceful way, it is mostly young women who tend to be the victim of honour killings compared to young males for whom it is easier to leave the area and reside somewhere else. The policy research organization in Kabul stated that women are generally in a much more vulnerable position with regard to settling down on their own in Kabul or elsewhere, in comparison with men who can move on and stay in other places. The source added that it is very unusual for women to live by themselves and almost impossible for most women not to be living with their own or husband’s family.

An Afghan law practitioner stated that based on its experience, it is mostly women who face grave problems with regard to dishonouring the family because young men often have the possibility to leave the area or the country and reside in other places.

AIHRC emphasized that young men could be at risk if they inflict damage to a family’s honour by having a relationship with a girl from that family before marriage. Young men will in such cases only have their own family to protect them.

AIHRC added that the girls’ family would often solve the issue by marriage. However, families with a high status will not accept a marriage between their daughter and a young man of a lower status. If the relationship includes mixed ethnic parties, it will be even more complicated. The consequences for the young man involved would often be killing, mutilation of his body, harshbeating or sometimes imprisonment with allegations of kidnapping the daughter. AIHRC gave an example with a young couple who had fled to Pakistan, but were persuaded by their families to come back. After their return, the young man was charged with kidnapping and was put in prison, and he has been in prison for the last two years.

Asked if a young man from the countryside would be safe in Kabul after having been involved in a dishonouring case, AIHRC informed the delegation that he will face the risk of being tracked down by the girl’s family, especially if it is an influential family, as honour is an important issue in the Afghan society. In general, the more influential the girl’s family is, the higher risk the young man will face.

AIHRC added however that most dishonouring cases will calm down by time, for example after a couple of years, and it is particularly within this period that the young man will be at risk.

The reaction of the families will, according to AAWU, depend on their social and educational background: if the woman comes from an educated family, they will in the first step send a warning to the man to stop seeing the woman, and they will not allow the young woman to go out ( to school or to university). In case the relation continues, they will try to frighten the young man by sending somebody to beat him up. However, if the woman’s family belongs to an illiterate family, it may end up killing the man. AAWU added that fanatic families would even kill other members of the young man’s family, or the young man’s family would have to compensate the other family with a girl who may end up serving as a ‚slave’ for the woman’s family.

Asked about whether a young man who flees his area and goes to Kabul ‐ because he has been threatened by the family of a woman with whom he has had sexual relation ‐ will be safe in Kabul, AAWU replied that as he has caused damage to the honour of the woman’s family and honour is an important issue in Afghanistan, the woman’s family will make an attempt to find him through the ethnic network. As Kabul has a huge population with different people from different parts of Afghanistan, it might be difficult, but the family will never give up. On the other hand, even if the family cannot find him, the young man will always live in fear of being found and it will be difficult for him to search for jobs etc.

According to MoWA, if a young man is threatened by the family of a young woman with whom he has had a relation in his area of origin and he flees to Kabul, the woman’s family would sometimes be able to find him in Kabul.” (DIS, 29. Mai 2012, S. 35-36)

Der Hohe Flüchtlingskommissar der Vereinten Nationen (UNHCR) hält in der deutschen Zusammenfassung seiner Richtlinien zur Feststellung des internationalen Schutzbedarfs afghanischer Asylsuchender vom März 2012 Folgendes fest:

„b) Andere Handlungen, die gegen die Scharia verstoßen

Personen, die eines Verstoßes gegen die Scharia - wie Blasphemie, Apostasie, Homosexualität oder Ehebruch - bezichtigt werden, sind nicht nur der Gefahr ausgesetzt, Opfer von sozialer Ausgrenzung und Gewalt durch Familien- und Gemeinschaftsangehörige sowie durch die Taliban zu werden, sondern können ebenso strafrechtlicher Verfolgung ausgesetzt sein.“ (UNHCR, 24. März 2011, S. 6)

Laut einem Bericht der International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) vom Mai 2012 hätten die Taliban im April 2009 in der Provinz Nimrus ein des Ehebruchs beschuldigtes Paar öffentlich hingerichtet. Weiters sei am 16. August 2010 im Distrikt Dasht-e-Archi (Provinz Kundus) ein junges Paar von den Taliban getötet worden, das davongelaufen sei, um von Familienangehörigen auf sie ausgeübtem Druck zu entkommen:

„In April 2009, the Taliban publicly executed, in Nemroz province, a couple accused of adultery. Both were shot dead in front of the mosque. On 16 August 2010, the Taliban restored death by stoning, and a young couple who had eloped to escape family pressures were killed in Dasht-e-Archi district, Kunduz province.” (FIDH, 18. Mai 2012, S. 44)

Informationen zur Behandlung von Personen, darunter Männern, denen Ehebruch bzw. eine außereheliche Beziehung vorgeworfen wird, finden Sie auch in folgenden ACCORD-Anfragebeantwortungen vom Jänner bzw. Februar 2012:

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zu Afghanistan: Ehrenmorde als Folge von Ehebruch: Personenkreis, der ein Interesse an der Tötung eines verheirateten Jungen haben könnte, der mit einem verlobten Mädchen geflohen ist [a-7875], 23. Jänner 2012

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zu Afghanistan: 1) Wiederherstellung der Familienehre durch Ermordung des vorehelichen Sexualpartners bei der Volksgruppe der Tadschiken; 2) Schutz durch Sicherheitsdienste [a-7871], 7. Februar 2012 (siehe Kopie im Anhang)

 

 

 

Quellen: (Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 10. August 2012)

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zu Afghanistan: Ehrenmorde als Folge von Ehebruch: Personenkreis, der ein Interesse an der Tötung eines verheirateten Jungen haben könnte, der mit einem verlobten Mädchen geflohen ist [a-7875], 23. Jänner 2012

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zu Afghanistan: 1) Wiederherstellung der Familienehre durch Ermordung des vorehelichen Sexualpartners bei der Volksgruppe der Tadschiken; 2) Schutz durch Sicherheitsdienste [a-7871], 7. Februar 2012 (siehe Kopie im Anhang)

·      DIS - Danish Immigration Service: Afghanistan; Country of Origin Information for Use in the Asylum Determination Process; Report from Danish Immigration Service’s fact finding mission to Kabul, Afghanistan; 25 February to 4 March 2012, 29. Mai 2012

·      FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights: Human rights at a crossroads: The need for a rights-centred approach to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, 18. Mai 2012

·      HRW - Human Rights Watch: "I had to run away"; The Imprisonment of Women and Girls for “Moral Crimes” in Afghanistan, 28. März 2012 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

·      Landinfo – Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre: Afghanistan: Marriage Report Afghanistan, 19. Mai 2011 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

·      UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees: UNHCR-Richtlinien zur Feststellung des internationalen Schutzbedarfs afghanischer Asylsuchender, 24. März 2011 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)